Riga - Stone Bridge
The World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, which is the first World Athletics Series athletics event in the history of the Baltics, will take place in Riga this weekend, the road running capital of the world 2023. The culmination of the championships will take place on Sunday, October 1st, when the world's leading runners will compete for world champion titles in the disciplines of road mile, 5km, and the half marathon on the streets of Riga. They will be joined by running enthusiasts from more than 100 countries around the world in mass races.
The championship will kick off on September 29th with the World Championships EXPO and opening press conference led by Sebastian Coe. On September 30th, the youngest runners will be invited to run at the Rimi Kids' Day event, which will kick off the grand event near the Freedom Monument. Another important component of the World Championship will be the Global Running Conference, which will bring together leading professionals in the running industry on September 30th.
At the World Championships Mass Races on October 1st the participants will be welcomed and honored at the finish line by the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs. The most active Latvian companies will compete in the Signet Bank Teams' Cup, as well as the most active Latvian schools, who will prove themselves in the Latvian Schools' Cup. The youngest joggers will also kickstart the Championships weekend with the Rimi Kids' Day runs.
For the first time in the history of the World Championships, anyone who is committed to following in the footsteps of the world's running elite can earn championship medals in the half marathon, 21km relay, 5km and the road mile, as well as Rimi Kids' Day courses.
Anyone can still register for the mass races until the 29th of September, while all the sport fans are welcome to experience the great event in person on the streets of Riga on Sunday. Everyone will also be able to follow the event live stream on the World Athletics website or on the channel LTV7 from 11:25am to 3:35pm in Latvia.
World Road Running Championships programme
September 29, Friday
10:00-20:00 EXPO at the Hanzas perons - mass race participants' bib collection
14:00-15:00 World Athletics Road Running Championships opening press conference at the EXPO with World Athletics president Sebastian Coe
September 30, Saturday
10:00-18:00 Global Running Conference, Radisson Blu Latvija
10:00-20:00 EXPO at the Hanzas Perons - mass race participants' bib collection
10:00-15:00 Rimi Kids' Day, Monument of Freedom
October 1, Sunday
10:00 5km mass race (start at the Stone bridge)
11:30 road mile (1609 m) mass race (start at the National Museum of Art)
12:00 5km elite race | women (start at the Stone bridge)
12:25 5km elite race | men (start at the Stone bridge)
13:00 road mile elite race | women (start at the National Museum of Art)
13:10 road mile elite race | men (start at the National Museum of Art)
13:30 Half marathon elite race | women (start at the Stone bridge)
14:15 Half marathon elite race | men (start at the Stone bridge)
14:15 Half marathon & 21km relay mass race (start at the National Museum of Art)
15:30 Medal ceremony (at the Embankment)
Mass race participants can pick up their bibs at the EXPO
The EXPO will take place on September 29th and 30th from 10:00am to 8:00pm at Hanzas Perons, Hanzas Street 16a. At the EXPO, you can purchase sports equipment from Asics, the official event running shirt featuring the artwork "Pavasarī" by Latvian master Vilhelms Purvītis, meet the favorites of the World Championships, and enjoy the festive atmosphere. We encourage participants to register by the evening of September 28th on www.riga23.com, although late registration with an increased fee will also be possible on September 29th and 30th, both on the official website and in person at the EXPO.
Within the EXPO, on September 29th at 14:00, the event's opening press conference will take place, featuring Sebastian Coe, President of the World Athletics, Aigars Nords, the head of the local organizing team, championship ambassador and Latvian athletics legend Jeļena Prokopčuka, as well as the Championships favorites - Peres Jepchirchir (defending World half marathon champion and World record-holder), Jessica Hull (Oceania mile record-holder) and Sam Prakel (World road mile record-holder).. The press conference will be open to all EXPO visitors.
The World Champs weekend starts with the Rimi Kids' Day
The weekend will kick off with Rimi Kids' Day on September 30th at 10:00 AM at the Freedom Monument. The Rimi Kids' Day courses include a crawling track for Babies (0-3 years), 200m (3-8 years), and 400m (5 to 12 years) distances which are free of charge. However, for the 50m sprint distance “Sprint King and Queen”, where the young participants (up to 12 years old) will receive race bibs with chips to record their finishing times and the fastest sprinters, registration is available for a symbolic fee (3 EUR). All finishers of the Rimi Kids' Day races will receive the official World Championships running commemorative medals and Rimi juice packets.
In between the running children will have the opportunity to enjoy Martin's bubbles and meet Rimi's mascots apple and corn, as well as the World Athletics Road Running Championships mascot - Riga rooster! The little ones can take a look and climb into the State Police van with the isolation unit, as well as check out the municipal police car and bike. The Latvian National Guard will also be present with a quad bike and a buggy.
World Road Running Champs with the mass races on Sunday
At the World Championships, five world record holders will compete for medals and championship titles in three distances: the half marathon, 5km, and the mile. In total, 57 national teams from different countries have registered 348 elite runners – 151 women and 197 men – all set to start in Riga.
There's also potential for several new world records to be set at the World Championships, and running enthusiasts can follow these record-breaking attempts either in person or live on their TV screens.
The mass races, held alongside the elite world competitions, provide an opportunity for any running enthusiast to not only earn World Championships medals but also to run on the championship courses in the half marathon, relay (10.2km + 10.9km), 5km, and the mile. Those interested in the mass races can still register on the event's official website, www.riga23.com, until September 29.
World Championships medals - for elite and mass race participants
The medals' are designed by Maija Rozenfelde who drew inspiration from Niklāvs Strunke's work "Man entering the room". They're made special by the fact that they will be awarded not only to the world's elite runners, who may set new world records and will claim a place on the championships podium, but to all finishers of the mass races – the mile, 5km, half marathon, 21km relay, and Rimi Kids' Day races – from Latvia and around the world, thereby carrying Latvian culture far beyond its borders.
At the finish of the 5km mass race, medals will also be handed out by Agate Caune, the holder of the Latvian 5km record. The special guest at the championships' finish area will be the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, who has committed to awarding medals and honoring the finishers of one of the mass races.
